10 reasons why your dog's teeth chatter

Our dogs exhibit a variety of bizarre behaviors—barking at the mailman, scrabbling on the floor with their hind limbs, or twirling around before going to the bathroom. But have you ever seen your dog's teeth chattering? This strange behavior is quite common among our canine friends and often baffles dog owners.

What exactly is teeth chattering? It's just what it sounds like: your dog's top and bottom rows of teeth clicking together quickly, possibly making an audible sound. This is what your teeth can do if you're shivering from the cold.

The question is, why does dog teeth chattering occur in the first place? And is this a cause for concern?

Read on to learn more about what could be causing your dog's teeth to chatter and when to contact your veterinarian.

Reaction of a male dog to a female dog in heat

Teeth grinding is not always a pathological sign. Male dogs often show sexual arousal. This is especially noticeable if there is a female dog in heat nearby.

Signs of excitement in a male dog:

Normally, male dogs begin to experience sexual arousal at 6-8 months. Up to 1-1.5 years, testosterone levels continue to increase, so young males are more active in finding a partner. But constant sexual behavior is formed only by 3-4 years.

Without cages, male dogs may develop atypical behavior - a reaction to other males, people and inanimate objects.

If a male dog reacts by chattering his teeth at a female during a walk, then this is a normal reaction and no action needs to be taken about this (only if you find a partner for mating). But if a male develops a sexual attraction to other males, the owner (other people), or he tries to mount toys and interior items, then it is necessary to work with him:

Although removing the testes is a radical remedy, it does not always help. A number of males retain sexual behavior despite the fact that hormone production has ceased. In this case, it is necessary to continue educational work with the animal - after castration, the dogs become more obedient. It is important not to encourage the male to mount people and other inappropriate objects. Approval will cause a pathological reflex, which will be difficult to remove in the future.

Causes

This can include many things, from reflexes and injuries to diseases and rare genetic gifts.

The most common reasons include:

Reaction to stimuli

For food or smell

In the mid-19th century, a Russian scientist, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, conducted experiments studying reflexes and muscle memory. The experiment is called “Pavlov’s Dog”. The gist was this:

The dog was served food according to the regimen;
Immediately before food was served, a light bulb was lit, which was in the field of view of the experimental subject;
After some time, the food supply was stopped and the light came on.

So no need to worry, perhaps the chattering of teeth is a normal preparation for eating , so to speak, “warming up the engine.” This pathogen is natural, which means that no intervention is required.

For medicines

If your dog has taken pills that taste bitter, it is possible that he is making such movements in an attempt to get rid of the unpleasant taste in his mouth . Another case is when the pills affect the functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system, sending false signals to the muscles and receptors. Consult your veterinarian regarding the compatibility of the drug with your pet’s body.

Allergy

Some pathogens bind to histamine receptors in the mouth, causing involuntary muscle contractions, itching, and burning . In such cases, you can take a small dose of Suprastin or a similar hypoallergenic drug.

Parasites

Some microorganisms, as well as types of mites that live under the skin, can be located in the oral cavity, causing discomfort . The dog tries to scratch the itchy place, but it doesn’t work and it makes a knock.

In this case, pay attention to whether the dog is itching, fidgeting on the floor, etc., since in the presence of parasites this is exactly the reaction that appears. Here you need to consult a doctor who, based on an analysis of a skin biopsy, will prescribe a remedy against pests.

Emotional excitement

The situation is typical - the dog is happy to see you, wags its tail, whines and chatters its teeth, showing with all its appearance how bored it is. The same thing happens in the process of flirting with a female or during sexual heat.

Sometimes knocking in dogs is observed during aggression, anger, resentment, or a tense state; it all depends on temperament and character. No measures need to be taken , but if the knocking interferes with sleep, you can give the dog a sedative.

Damage to the central nervous system or brain

The brain regulates all processes in the body, sending signals to the nervous system, which distributes them to the right areas of the body. In many diseases, there is a disruption in the functioning of the system . This is mainly apathy and sedative behavior, but hyperactivity is also possible.

Genetics

All creatures have innate habits : some have ears that move, some blink out of sync, and some chatter their teeth. We are all unique and have our own quirks.

Teeth cutting

A common problem is from discomfort when cutting new teeth . If there is no object at hand that can be chewed, then the teeth find themselves such a distraction. Find or buy a silent rubber toy or bones in a variety of flavors at a pet store to help provide relief for your pet.

Poisoning

Your dog may have heartburn, indigestion, or vomiting, the symptom of which is pounding. It is necessary to pay attention to the dog’s behavior , measure its temperature, and check whether its nose is wet.

Help: if there is a suspicion of intoxication, you need to rinse the stomach with plenty of water or a solution of soda and salt in a 1:1 ratio.

Food stuck

If there were bones or large elements in the dish, most likely one of them got into the area between the cheek and the outermost tooth, getting stuck there. The dog cannot help itself with its hands, so it tries to free itself from the foreign object with such movements. Inspect the oral cavity for food debris and help the dog get rid of them.

Why do old animals click?

Over the course of its life, the dog receives dental injuries (cracks, chips), wears off tooth enamel, and damages gums. All these factors, combined with poor nutrition, can lead to caries and similar diseases . Caries itself irritates the dental nerve, causing contractions, and the body also tries to get rid of the diseased, infected tooth using this method.

If your dog's teeth are loose or his breath smells bad, he clearly has an oral disease. They can be caused by infections, lifestyle choices, or trauma (such as hot food or bone breaking the gum)

Pediatric bruxism

Bruxism occurs in 35–50% of children. As a rule, children grind their teeth only in their sleep: at night there are several attacks that last no more than 8–10 seconds. Attacks are usually observed during teething, both milk and molars.

Causes of Bruxism

Parents often wonder why their child grinds his teeth in his sleep. Unfortunately, no doctor knows the exact causes of bruxism in children. Experts correlate the occurrence of the disease with factors such as:

psychological factors: stress, anxiety, abnormal emotional development;

neurological factors: epilepsy, enuresis, etc.;

dental factors: malocclusion and dentition (extra teeth, adentia), improper orthodontic treatment (incorrectly selected braces, etc.);

intoxication due to various diseases;

endocrine disorders, etc.

Dangerous symptoms: when should you see a doctor?

The question of when to start treatment for bruxism in children worries many parents. As a rule, the disease goes away on its own, without any consequences, by the age of 12–13 years. This is due to the fact that by this period the formation of molars is completed. No treatment is required for this form of bruxism.

Damage to the neuromuscular system

The dog grinds its teeth due to pathology of the masticatory muscles and pharyngeal muscles caused by the rabies virus. Rabies is a dangerous disease of animals, the causative agent of which affects the nervous system and salivary glands. Infection occurs when a sick animal bites a healthy one. All warm-blooded animals are susceptible to the virus.

appears no earlier than 10-12 days from the moment of the bite;
From the moment the first symptoms appear until death, up to 3 weeks pass;
at the initial stage there is lethargy and depression;
itching appears as the virus penetrates;
aggressiveness, agitation;
gnashing of teeth, slack jaw;
excessive salivation;
pupils dilated;
eyes are inactive;
difficulty swallowing, hydrophobia.

The pathology ends with inflammation of the brain, muscle paralysis and death. The diagnosis is confirmed by biological tests and laboratory tests. Until the results are negative, the dog is isolated and no contact is allowed.

Treatment of dogs for rabies has not been developed, there are no effective methods and means, therefore, if the test is positive, the animal is killed. The development of the disease can be prevented - annual vaccination avoids the development of the virus in the body. You should also avoid contact of your pet with wild and stray animals.

Similar clinical signs can be observed in other dangerous infectious diseases. So, with carnivore distemper, the dog grinds its teeth, and increased salivation is observed in some cases. But in this case, in the acute form, dogs will have serous-purulent conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, and cough. Differential diagnosis and laboratory tests will help identify the cause of the pathological condition.

Ischemic stroke

Acute cerebral circulatory disorders do not occur suddenly; there are certain signs of an impending vascular catastrophe:

Read also: Squelching in the ear, sensation of water in the ear

frequent headache;
unusual drowsiness and apathy for this person;
dizziness;
significant jumps in individual blood pressure indicators;
memory impairment;
tinnitus;
numbness of the limbs and facial muscles;
stereoscopic vision;
disorder in coordination of movements.

These conditions may disappear and reappear in a more pronounced form.

If one or more signs are present, you should consult a neurologist and conduct an assessment of the condition of the cerebral vessels.

The Peredelkino Clinical Center operates a medical program “Cardiodiagnosis”. Within the framework of this program, you can conduct the necessary research and get advice from specialists. Find out more here

When a dog's trembling is not dangerous

Fortunately for every owner, tremors in dogs also occur for completely harmless reasons: It happens that a dog’s paws, and sometimes his whole body, tremble in the cold.

The animal curls its tail, cowers, and breathes intermittently. Moreover, a pet can tremble not only on a chilly street, but also at home, for example, after bathing, if the room is cool;

Males almost always tremble when they see a female in heat.

At the same time, they can behave extremely restlessly (attempting to break off the leash, run away, etc.), bark and whine, breathe loudly;

Many dogs tremble from an excess of feelings

, for example, seeing the owner returning home after a long absence. This behavior is most often found in small pocket dogs (like the Toy Terrier), as well as large dogs with docked tails. By the way, older dogs often have jaw trembling during emotional experiences;

Sometimes the dog trembles and breathes rapidly, feeling afraid

(for example, when he hears the sounds of ambulance sirens or fireworks);

There is no need to be afraid if the animal trembles in its sleep
(but when it wakes up, the tremor goes away during wakefulness). Most likely, he is dreaming about something exciting.

Types of bruxism

Bruxism occurs at night and during the day.

During the day, the disease manifests itself extremely rarely and is more like involuntary clenching of teeth than grinding or creaking. Daytime bruxism is often accompanied by symptoms such as lip biting and finger biting. In this case, self-control can help.

Bruxism often occurs at night, because patients cannot control themselves while sleeping. In addition to grinding, signs such as chattering teeth, slurping, and swallowing saliva are often observed.

The causes and treatment of bruxism in adults and children are different. In this regard, we will look at the issue from two sides.

Presence of intestinal parasites

Teeth grinding often occurs in dogs with severe intestinal infestation. The pathological effect exerted by worms on the animal’s body causes discomfort and pain, which causes tooth decay. Helminth infections in dogs are accompanied by other clinical signs:

diarrhea, constipation and other digestive disorders;

the appearance of blood and mucus in the stool;

exhaustion, dehydration;

weakness, depression;

the appearance of itching in the anal area with a number of invasions.

The diagnosis is established by laboratory tests. Eggs, larvae or adults of parasites are found in stool samples. For this purpose, sedimentation and flotation methods are used. In the first case, a sample of feces is crushed (ground in a mortar with a small amount of water), then the sample is washed into a laboratory beaker with 50-100 ml of water. The preparation is allowed to stand for 30 minutes, after which the supernatant liquid is drained and water is added to the residue. The solution is again left to precipitate and the procedure is repeated until the water above the sediment becomes clear. Now you should place the remaining stool sample on a glass slide and examine it under a microscope. In this way, imaginal and larval forms, as well as large eggs, can be detected.

In most cases, the flotation method is used, since it allows the detection of even small eggs, which are found in many species. To do this, a fecal sample is diluted in a hypertonic solution (saline, glycerin and water, zinc sulfate) and left for 10-30 minutes. After that, a metal loop is used to grab a drop from the surface and transfer it to a glass slide. The study is carried out under a microscope.

Methods of allergy testing and detection of antibodies in blood serum are also used. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, which are prescribed after the detection of parasites and their identification. Complex therapy is also carried out - elimination of secondary pathologies and negative symptoms.

Parasites in the intestines

Why a dog chatters its teeth may be due to worms in the animal's intestines. Thus, the phenomenon of a puppy clicking its jaws is manifested due to pain in the intestinal area. However, the presence of helminthic infestations can also manifest itself in other main symptoms:

the pet's sleep is significantly disrupted;
significant digestive upset, manifested by diarrhea, constipation or intestinal bloating;
the pet may feel cold and very severe chills;
Sometimes there may be blood, mucus or flakes in your dog's stool;
the puppy may experience quite severe dehydration;
the pet's immunity is significantly reduced;
The dog's sleep deteriorates very much;
the animal weakens and cannot actively move normally;
There is constant itching in the rectal area of the pet and both fragments and whole worms can come out.

Very strong pain

If the dog feels severe pain, it may also grind its teeth. It is also very important to note that in this case the causes of such pain can be very different.

Thus, in order to correctly establish the primary source of such unpleasant sensations, it is worth paying special attention to those symptoms that can help in making the correct diagnosis:

discharge of blood, pus or other impurities from the bitch’s genitals;
bloating;
increased body temperature;
pain in the head or ears.

Based on all that has been said, we can conclude that teeth grinding in a pet can be caused by a variety of conditions. However, some of them are physiological and completely harmless, while others, in turn, carry a certain danger, both for the health and life of the animal.

What does this mean in puppies?

If your puppy is chattering his teeth, there may be several reasons :

New teeth are growing. The puppy feels a foreign object in its mouth and tries to spit it out.
Old teeth are being cut. The classic situation is just give him something to chew on.
Development of the musculoskeletal apparatus. As the body grows, one can observe an increase in tissue before the eyes. The dog also senses these changes, adapts to them, learns to control and sense new tissues. New neural connections are also formed between the brain and muscles, which the synaptic nervous system automatically tests by sending signals to them, as a result of which the jaw muscles contract.
Imitation of other dogs or owner. The puppy observes its surroundings and begins to repeat some actions, learns, and gets to know the world.